GamesRadar - Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword

Nintendo DS: The first five years (Feature)

Nov 20, 2009

Whoa, hang a second. The DS has been around for five years? Strange as it sounds, it’s true – the DS launched in the US on November 21, 2004 to almost immediate success, and is well on its way to outselling every other major gaming platform in history. Current numbers put the DS (and its various incarnations) at nearly 115 million units sold worldwide, a runaway lead over Sony’s estimated 60 million PSPs ...

411mania's Release List for the Week of April 6, 2009 (News)

Apr 9, 2009

411mania talks about this week's game releases. Highlights include Oboro Muramasa, Suggoi! Arcana Heart 2, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, Hammerin' Hero, Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity, and Rhythm Heaven.

411mania's Release List for the Week of January 26, 2009 (News)

Jan 27, 2009

411mania gives a rundown on this week's game releases. Highlights include The Chase: Felix Meets Felicity, DJ Max Fever, and Ninja Blade.

The Chase: Felix Meets Felicity
"Despite still being in pre-alpha, the glimpse that I got of The Chase at last year's E3 was already looking pretty good. Unfortunately, more high-profile 2D platformers like Mega Man 9, Bionic Commando, and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia were getting most of the attention. So, it's understandable that this game was overlooked."

DJ Max Fever
"What's surprising is that PM Studios decided not to follow in Konami's footsteps by bastardizing the series with crappy songs from 2nd-tier US bands that nobody has ever heard of. Granted, most of the people who pick this up will not have heard of any of its songs either, but one of the game's main strengths is its song selection, and changing what works would kill the series before it has a chance to plant its feet."

Ninja Blade
"Ninja Blade is a 'Cinematic Action' game developed by the people who brought us the Otogi series"
"It looks to be a cross between Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi, Heavenly Sword, God of War, and Onimusha."

2008's most impressive DS games (Feature)

Dec 16, 2008

Reflection is customary at the end of the year. Where were we? What happened? What games did we love? And as we stared down at our copies of Club Penguin and Personal Trainer: Cooking, our thoughts turned to: What were the DS games that actually tried this year? ...

Dozens follow Itagaki in Tecmo walk out (News)

Jun 16, 2008

A large number of Team Ninja employees are reported to have left Tecmo following Itagaki's walkout earlier this month, according to rumours.

It is reported that "as many as three dozen" Team Ninja employees have done a runner and, to make things worse for Tecmo, also plan to take the company to court over unpaid bonuses for completed games.

Things got nasty early this month when Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden creator Tomonobu ...

Tecmo shares nosedive on Itagaki exit (News)

Jun 5, 2008

Publisher Tecmo's share price has plummeted more than 10 percent since news broke that Tomonobu Itagaki had both sued the company and handed in his resignation.

Earlier this week it emerged that Itagaki had filed a complaint with the Tokyo District Court against his employer Tecmo for unpaid completion bonuses, and against the company's president for "unreasonable and disingenuous statements" made towards him.

He announced that ...

Tecmo: Itagaki lawsuit a "huge problem" (News)

Jun 4, 2008

Tecmo has defended its position in the conundrum over Itagaki's resignation and lawsuit against the company announced yesterday.

The company says the "unpaid completion bonuses" Itagaki speaks of were an agreement of previous management, and that Itagaki had been paid his dues in the form of annual bonuses. ...

Itagaki quits Tecmo, then sues them (News)

Jun 3, 2008

Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki is leaving Tecmo and has filed a lawsuit against the company for "unpaid completion bonuses" over Dead or Alive 4.

Itagaki's translator contacted Kotaku yesterday, telling them: "At approximately 2:30 PM Japan Standard Time today, June 3rd 2008, an official statement from Tomonobu Itagaki was sent by fax to major Japanese news outlets."

In the official statement, Itagaki said: "I, ...

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword - Gameplay 1 (Video)

Jun 2, 2008

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword looks to turn your stylus into equal parts wand and katana, in this innovative little slasher from Team Ninja.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword - Gameplay 2 (Video)

Jun 2, 2008

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword looks to turn your stylus into equal parts wand and katana, in this innovative little slasher from Team Ninja.

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword gets a European release date (News)

May 21, 2008

Rob Hearn of Pocket Gamer writes: "It's a good day to be a European. Not only has Nintendo confirmed the imminent arrival of three vaguely interesting DS colours, but we've learned that Bangai-O Spirits is getting a European release, and the keenly awaited Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword has got date we can write in our diaries.

[...] The game's due out on June the 27th."

Ninja Gaiden creator to embark on new action franchise (News)

May 16, 2008

Speaking to press at a Ninja Gaiden 2 event being held in London today, Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki has offered further insight into what he plans to do next.

"I love the action game genre, in particular I am very focussed on movement and the animation. One of the precepts I always have for my games is making sure that the animation of all the characters is as fluid and as cool looking as they can be," explained Itagaki. "I think that I'm going to continue to explore the action genre and do something that allows me to go in directions that I haven't been able to go with the Ninja Gaiden series, with an entirely new franchise."

Nintendo Channel DS Demos: Get 'em Before They're Gone (News)

May 13, 2008

Those who didn't take advantage of certain Nintendo Channel downloadable demos for the Nintendo DS, such as Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and Cooking Mama 2 are now officially out of luck.

Ninja Gaiden DS gets European release (News)

Apr 3, 2008

Ubisoft has announced plans to launch Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword in Europe this June.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword - Trailer (Video)

Apr 3, 2008

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword looks to turn your stylus into equal parts wand and katana, in this innovative little slasher from Team Ninja.

Team Ninja Reacts to Kanagawa Rampage (News)

Mar 29, 2008

It wasn't until Team Ninja's Yosuke Hayashi stepped off the plane from Japan earlier this week that he heard about the connection some in the Japanese media were trying to draw between his recently released Ninja Gaiden game and the rampage of a disenfranchised gamer at a shopping center near Tokyo.

"We were just talking about it. We didn't fly in until last night and I didn't know about it until I got off the plane," Hayashi said through a translator Wednesday afternoon. "They told me there is stuff going on in the media in Japan, there is a game that was involved and it just so happens it was Ninja Gaiden DS."

Hyashi at NYC Nintendo Store signing latest Ninja Gaiden (News)

Mar 27, 2008

Gamertell reports that Director and Producer Yosuke Hyashi was at the New York City Nintendo World Store today (March 26, 2008) signing copies of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the DS.

Everyone who bought the game also received a special sword stylus. The updated article includes an image of the autograph and the bagged stylus.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (Screenshots)

Mar 25, 2008

Japanese Wii Owners Finally Have Exciting DS Demo Downloads (News)

Mar 24, 2008

TVGB: "I don't know if it's because Nintendo is a Japanese company, but they often bless Japan with games and services well before the rest of the world. One of these features is the Everybody's Nintendo Channel on Wii, which has been live in Japan since November 27 of last year. While Nintendo has announced plans to bring this channel to North America and Europe, they have yet to announce a specific date."

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (Review)

Mar 12, 2008

Up until now, holding the DS sideways like a book has triggered images of brainy minigames or self-help software meant for mommy dearest. After spending five chaotic hours with Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, it's now become synonymous with nut-busting action on par with Devil May Cry or God of War.Developer Team Ninja has seemingly done the impossible - create an adrenaline-drenched action title that's totally stylus driven. Slashing an enemy with ...

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword Goes Gold & Screens (News)

Feb 29, 2008

Tecmo today announced that Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, an action-adventure game developed by Executive Producer Tomonobu Itagaki and the Team NINJA development studio, has been approved for manufacturing and will hit the store shelves across North America on March 25th.

In Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, you must uncover all the mysteries of Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword as you fight enemy ninjas and battle various fiends while taking on the role of Master Ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, in an all new storyline for the Nintendo DS.

Ninja Gaiden DS gets a Sword Stylus (News)

Feb 27, 2008

So gamers thought the feather stylus that came with Zelda for the DS was sweet, Loot Ninja calls shenanigans and presents the Dragon Sword Stylus! Thats right if you pre-order your copy of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword from GamStop you get this stylus.

Ninja Gaiden DS Demo at GDC (News)

Feb 16, 2008

Tecmo has revealed to us that a demo version of its hugely anticipated Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword will be available for download at Nintendo's Game Developers Conference booth starting Wednesday, February 20.

Game Developers Conference is an industry event that takes place in San Francisco beginning next week. The demo should be available through normal means at participating retailers shortly after Game Developers Conference, but attendees of the conference will be the first to get a sample of the US version.

Ask Itagaki Column Returns (News)

Feb 15, 2008

Ninja Gaiden and Team NINJA fans might remember the much-discussed 'Ask Itagaki' column that ran in now-defunct Ziff magazine Xbox Nation, in which Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki would field reader questions about romance, gambling, games, booze and more. Unfortunately, when XBN died, so too did the column. But 1UP has good news.

The Ask Itagaki column will soon resurface somewhere in the Ziff universe, sooner than you think. The only thing 1UP needs is fuel for the fire. Send your questions to 1UP, and they'll select the best ones to pass on to Itagaki himself.

The Top 7... Assassins (Feature)

Feb 6, 2008

On some level, roughly 95 percent of games have always been about assassination: go to point A and kill prominent entity B, fighting your way through goons C through Z to get there. Most games tend to come up with a morally justifiable pretext for all the violence, but more and more, we're seeing games that drop the act and let you be what you've secretly known yourself to be all along: a remorseless killing machine bent on destroying your targets. ...

Ninja Gaiden DS Demo Coming to Wii (News)

Jan 30, 2008

The Everyone's Nintendo Channel has been a part of the Japanese Wii for a couple of months now, but the promise of downloadable DS demos has resulted in nothing more than a bunch of Touch Generation non-game samplers.

That's about to change, thanks to just about the most hardcore gaming series around. Tecmo Japan announced today that it will release a demo of Ninja Gaiden DS through the service in the middle of March. The demo will also be available at DS Station retail kiosks.

Ninja Gaiden DS 2 sequel talk from Itagaki (News)

Jan 23, 2008

In a recent interview with Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki, he was asked if the upcoming handheld version of Ninja Gaiden had any more in store for the DS in the future. VGB quotes: "Yes, I think Ninja Gaiden DS turned out quite well and if many people play the game, sure, we can make another game using the Dragon Sword system."

Nintendo unveils first-half game lineup for Wii and DS (News)

Jan 16, 2008

Game giant promises at least 65 new Wii games and 80 new DS games in the first half of the year.

"Our momentum is not limited to one system or one game," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's marketing replacement for Perrin Kaplan. "We're going broad and bold in 2008, with something for every member of the family."

First-party highlights from the release list include Advance Wars: Days of Ruin and Crosswords for DS, with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, and Wii Fit headed to Nintendo's fifth-generation console.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword interview (Feature)

Jan 15, 2008

Jan 15, 2008 There's a great deal of hyperbole in the games industry. People will frequently make impossible claims like "Game X will haunt you for years to come" or "Game Y will change the way you view the world," but those statements just aren't true. In the case of this game, however, we can safely make a statement along those lines and mean every single word: There is no other DS game, action or otherwise, that can compare to the technical prowess of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. Its smooth, ...

Ninja Gaiden DS Stylus Sword With A Pre-Order Offer From GameStop (News)

Dec 29, 2007

Stylii seem to be the staple Nintendo DS collectible or bonus offer. Here's another fancy one to add to your collection with a pre-order of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the Nintendo DS: the Ninja Gaiden Sword Stylus. In addition, a Ninja Gaiden DS finger strap and DS sword stylus sheath are included. The offer seems to be exclusive to GameStop pre-orders. Best to pre-order soon to secure your Ninja Gaiden Sword Stylus set. The offer is currently available online. Check with your local GameStop store on the offer. Just make sure to have a DS screen protector while you're at it! The game is estimated for a late March 2008 release. A playable demo should be available, if not sometime soon, from the DS Download Station in stores.

Ninja Gaiden DS dated (News)

Dec 20, 2007

Dec 20, 2007 Tecmo has slapped Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword with a release date of March of 2008. We don't know if that means the UK and Europe too but we're trying to find out. DOA mastermind and legendary developer Tomonobu Itagaki recently told us a little about the DS version. "The story of Ninja Gaiden 1 for the Xbox dealt with the mythology of the Vigoor Empire, the setting of the majority of that game. Ninja Gaiden DS takes place six months later, and the story deals with what happened ...

Pre-TGS 2007: Ninja Gaiden 2 Not Playable, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword Playable (News)

Sep 13, 2007

Well consider IGN disappointed. Following a glimpse at some of the most intense action they have ever seen during Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden 2 live gameplay demonstration at Microsoft's pre Tokyo Game Show press conference a couple of days back, IGN have just learned that the game won't be playable at the show.

Although Ninja Gaiden 2 will miss out, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword for the DS will have a playable build.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (Preview)

May 31, 2007

A few weeks ago, we told you about our first look at Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword when it was shown at a Tecmo event in Tokyo. The short and sweet is that the game looked spectacular for a DS title, even displayed on a large screen in front of a room filled with people. Well, we finally got the opportunity to play it, and the crazy thing is that this portable Ninja Gaiden feels every bit as promising as it looks. As if that werent enough, super-developer Tomonobu Itagaki himself was on hand to ...

Live from Japan: Tecmo's Media Day (News)

May 12, 2007

Plenty of Ninja Gaiden to go around, plus new announcements.

As it turns out, Square Enix isn't the only publisher in Tokyo taking advantage of the assembled media, as Tecmo rounded up dozens of journalists and gathered them together in the trendy Shibuya district at Club Camelot to unveil a grip of new software, while bringing us up to date on some other, highly anticipated games.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword - first look (Preview)

May 11, 2007

Today in Tokyo at publisher Tecmo's Nite Out 07, we were allowed to get our first taste of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, via a demo by outspoken Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki. During the stage presentation, Itagaki played the game live, projected onto a large screen television, using a Nintendo DS development system. Even displayed much, much larger than it would be on an actual Nintendo DS, the game looked sharp and appealing. The main character is the same as the full sized Ninja ...

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword Revealed (Feature)

Apr 12, 2007

In our interview with Tomonobu Itagaki, we discuss Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword's story, how the fast-paced action game works on the DS and whether or not all that action will give your hand cramps. When Team Ninja revealed a DS version of Ninja Gaiden was in the works, we thought it was a joke. But it wasn't quite April 1. Then we saw scans of a Japanese mag that confirmed this was no joke. How would it work on DS? Wouldn't all that fast-paced gameplay make it impossible to play? How would ...

Gaiden DS has "similarities" with 360 sequel, says Itagaki (News)

Apr 11, 2007

Tomonobu Itagaki tells CVG that fans of the action series will spot similarities between the recently announced DS game and the full-blown 360 sequel.

During a recent interview, Ninja Gaiden head guy Tomonobu Itagaki revealed a lot about the DS version to CVG. When asked if the DS version will tie in with what we might see in Ninja Gaiden 2, Itagaki replied, "Well... I am personally overseeing the development of everything from the story through to the gameplay elements for both games, so if you're observant you may be able to extrapolate some similarities between the two, yes, and not just in the area of story."

Ninja Gaiden hits the DS (News)

Apr 2, 2007

We're not just paranoid - ninjas are everywhere lately. So with Tecmo's official announcement of Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword for the Nintendo DS, we can triumphantly emerge from underneath our beds, tell our spouses "we told you so" and regain a small semblance of our dignity. Hot on the heels of the recent PS3 showcase, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Team Ninja's omnipresent swordsman, Ryu Hayabusha, is going portable later this ...

An Easy Tablet To Miss (Hint)

Apr 22, 2008

Go to GamesRadar to see the Hint ...

Happy Birthday (Cheat)

Apr 1, 2008

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Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword FAQ (FAQ)

Mar 31, 2008

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The Way of Kunoichi (Unlockable)

Mar 25, 2008

Go to GamesRadar to see the Unlockable ...

Unlockables (Unlockable)

Mar 21, 2008

Go to GamesRadar to see the Unlockable ...